Stepping Out

Fall beckons at Bellmore’s Family Street Festival

Annual fair delights all ages

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Bellmore eagerly welcomes thousands of area residents to its yearly festival extravaganza. The Bellmore Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the festival, has put together a community event — now in its 30th year — that is acclaimed as Nassau County’s largest event of its kind.
As always, plenty of activities for all ages and interests await visitors to this year’s spectacle, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bellmore LIRR Station and Sunrise Highway in downtown Bellmore Village. And, for extra enjoyment, check out on the carnival, which begins Thursday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m., and runs continuously all weekend until closing.
Over 250 exhibits and attractions are featured in a 25-square block area, drawing over 120,000 visitors each year. From traditional street fair activities and shopping to civic, business and health and wellness services, the fair combines amusements and access to vital community resources.
 According to the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce, “The Bellmore Family Street Festival affords many of the nearly 300 members of this organization not only a chance to ‘show their stuff,’ but also an opportunity to give something back to the community in the form of entertainment, information and good old-fashioned, family-oriented fun. The Bellmore Family Street Festival is also an excellent opportunity for our local non-profit groups to raise funds and share important information.”
The festivities begin Thursday evening with an array of carnival rides and game booths on the midway. On Friday, the rides will continue, and the showmobile in the Long Island Rail Road parking lot off Pettit Avenue along the midway will be bustling with entertainment from local bands.

New this year, a zipline and gorilla show add to the fun. There will even be racing pigs on the midway.
On Saturday and Sunday, the entire festival comes to life, with varied activities and exhibitors. First and foremost it’s a family affair, so that means that there’s plenty going on to keep kids busy all weekend-long.
The Kids Expo portion offers the “I Believe In Dragons and Faerie Tales” show, with a dragon egg hatching. There will also be a portable bowling lane, a hands-on exhibit from the Cradle of Aviation Museum, and crafts such as cookie decorating and jewelry making. The younger kids will also be delighted with the smaller-sized carnival rides, a chance to visit Rex the Dinosaur and Nature Nick with his live kangaroo, and, of course, that festival staple, face painting, among other activities.
There’s plenty of live entertainment as well. Local musical acts will keep everyone grooving, all weekend-long at the Showmobiles on Pettit Avenue and Broadway.
And what would a festival be without crafts and assorted treasures for sale? For the shoppers in attendance, over 100 vendors are on hand selling all sorts of handmade wares, along with other items of interest.
 Check out www.bellmorechamber.com for updated information or call the chamber’s hotline at (516) 809-5892.